Operating device for slide fasteners



Dec. 27, 1960 i2. P. LAZICH 7 2,965,945

OPERATING DEVICE FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed Jan. 20. 1958 7 INVENTOR United States Patent 2,965,945 OPERATING DEVICE For: SLIDE FASTENERS Radovan P. Lazich, 2735 Kroy Way, Sacramento, Calif.

Filed Jan. 20, 1958, Ser. No. 710,076

2 Claims. (Cl. 24205.15)

This invention relates to a device for removable attachment to the slides of pull tabs forming a part of the conventional slider that moves between rows of interlocking fasteners, for moving the fasteners into locked or unlocked position.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an operating mechanism in the form of a releasable extensible device adapted to be attached to garments wherein the slide fasteners are so located that they are inaccessible for convenient operation, as for example in closing and opening the back of a waist or dress.

An important object of this invention is to provide an operating attachment which may be connected to the operating tab of the slide fastener and moved to a position adjacent to the shoulder of the person wearing the garment, or to a position for convenient manipulation by the wearer.

A further object of the invention is to provide pivotal fingers normally urged downwardly for contact with the garment along the edges of the slide fastener for bolding the garment away from the slide fastener guarding against the cloth of the garment becoming caught in said slide fastener to prevent the operation of the fastener.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the operating device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the pivoted jaw forming a part of the operating device.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan View illustrating the operating device as attached to the pull tab of a slide fastener.

Fig. 5 is a view of the interior of the reel housing, with one side of the reel housing removed.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the U-shaped guard; and

Fig. 7 is a detail side elevational view of the pull tab engaging elements according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device comprises a body portion including an upper plate 5 and a lower plate 6, the plate 6 having a connection with the upper plate 5 near the free end thereof, while the other end of the lower plate connects with the housing 7 in which a controlled reel 20 is mounted. This reel 20 is spring biased by a spring 21 to the wound up position in a well known manner.

The upper plate 5 is also connected with the housing 7 as clearly shown by the drawing, and provides a support for the pivoted jaw 9 of the clip which attaches the device to the pull tab 10 of the conventional slide fastener, as shown by Figure 4 of the drawing.

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This jaw 9 is pivotally mounted on the bearing 11 securely fastened to the upper surface of the upper plate 5, one end of the jaw 9 extending downwardly providing a narrow extension 12 of a size to fit within the usual opening of the pull tab 10, connecting the device to the pull tab of the fastener.

A coiled spring 13 is mounted between one endof the pivoted jaw 9 and upper plate 5 as better shown by Fig. 2 of the drawing, normally urging the attaching end of the pivoted jaw 9 downwardly or to a position within the opening of the pull tab 10.

The bearing 11 has a forwardly extended lip 14 that forms a guideway with the forward end of the upper plate 5 to permit the pull tab 10 to be inserted between the lip 14 and plate 5 to be engaged by the extension 12. Due to this construction, it will be obvious that the slide member of the fastener will be held against twisting while it is being pulled throughout the length of the interlocking fastener elements.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing, the lower plate 6 has a forwardly and downwardly curved end portion 15 that extends a substantial distance beyond the front end of the upper plate 5, and provides a support for the U-shaped guard 16 which includes a shaft section 17 and spaced arms 18 that are positioned on opposite sides of the upper plate 5, as clearly shown by Figs. 1 and 7 of the drawmgs.

These spring arms 18 are held in the position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing, by means of a coiled spring 19, and contact the dress directly above the fastener, holding the portions of the dress away from the fastener to prevent the cloth material from becoming interlocked with the fastener elements, to prevent the operation of the fastener.

Wound on the reel 8 is a pull tape 22, to the free end of which is connected a clip 23, which clip is designed to be attached to the waist or dress with which the device is used in operating the pull tab 10 when closing the interlocking fasteners on the waist or dress. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5 of the drawings, the pull tape 22 is attached at one end to the clip 23 and at its other end to the reel 20, which as stated above, is spring biased by the coil spring 21 to the wound up position.

In the use of the device, the extension 12 of the jaw 9 is positioned in the opening of the pull tab of the slide fastener, and the clip 23 is clipped to the waist or dress at a point adjacent to the shoulder or an accessible location for operation, when the waist or dress has been placed on the body of the wearer.

The clip 23 will hold the pull tape 23 in a position so that the pull tape may be readily operated to move the device upwardly along the fastener, closing the interlocking fastening members.

It is obvious that when the fastener has been moved to close the opening of the dress or waist, the operating attachment will be in a position adjacent to the neck of the wearer of the waist or dress whereupon the pivoted jaw 9 of the clip may be operated to lift the extension 12 from the opening in the pull tab 10, releasing the operating device from the slide fastener.

When the device has been removed from the garment, the pull tape 23 may then be wound on the reel 8 where it is out of the way.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for effecting operation of the operating slide of the interlocking slide fastener of a garment, comprising a body, means for detachably connecting said body to said operating slide, pivoted arms engageable with the garment adjacent to the sides of said operating slide, holding the garment out of contact with said interlocking slide fastener during operation of said fastener,

and a pull tape' connected with said body for moving saidbody and operating saidslide in closing said fastener.

2. A device for operating zippers and similar types of fasteners when they are located on inaccessible portions of a garment, said device comprising a housing, a coiled spring Within said housing, a pull tape secured to one end of said coiled spring, the other end of said coiled spring being secured to said housing, a clip secured to the other end of said pull tape, an upper plate having one end secured to said housing, a curved lower plate having one end secured to said housing and its other end curved so as not to hook onto a garment, a bearing secured to the outer portion of said upper and lower plates at the intersection of said plates, a clamp for clamping on the end of said zipper or similar type of fasteners, said clamp being secured to said upper plate, and a pair of spaced arms pivotally secured to said clamp, said spaced arms to insure proper alignment of said zipper or similar type of fastenerwhenclamped by said clamp.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 327,022 Ross Sept. 29, 1885 476,699 Terpening June 7, 1892 1,980,955 Norton Nov. 13, 1934 2,636,751 Carlson Apr. 28, 1953 2,811,763 Jordan Nov. 5, 1957 2,835,952" Mininberg May 27, 1958 2,845,297 Doop -July 29, 1958 2,887,752 Maio May 26, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 107,646 Sweden June 15, 1943 

